U.S. women, U.S. juniors continue winning ways

Team USA's Kelli Stack, right, celebrates with teammates Hilary Knight, left, and Josephine Pucci, bottom, after scoring during the first period of the United States' 3-2 win over Canada on Saturday.

Team USA's Kelli Stack, right, celebrates with teammates Hilary Knight, left, and Josephine Pucci, bottom, after scoring during the first period of the United States' 3-2 win over Canada on Saturday. (Carlos Gonzalez / Associated Press)

Helene Elliott

A shootout goal by Hilary Knight proved the difference Saturday as the U.S. women’s hockey team defeated Canada, 3-2, in a Sochi Olympics warmup at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

Kelli Stack and Alex Carpenter — the latter the daughter of former NHL player Bobby Carpenter — scored in regulation for Team USA, which has now beaten its toughest rival three straight times.

The U.S. and Canada will play again Monday at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The game will be televised on Universal Sports Network starting at 4 p.m. Pacific time.

Team USA must cut two players to reach the Sochi roster limit of 18 skaters and three goaltenders. The roster will be announced Wednesday, during the second intermission of the nationally televised Winter Classic outdoor game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium.

The 25-man roster for the men’s Olympic squad will be announced after the Winter Classic.

Elsewhere, the U.S. national junior team defeated Slovakia, 6-3, to improve to 2-0 at the World Junior Championships in Malmo, Sweden. Here’s a link to USA Hockey’s account of that game.